Modern Wine Bar FAQs, Answered by Sommeliers and Experts

By Emily Post’s standards, modern dining is total lawlessness: The very conventions of table etiquette have been cast aside, people are eating salads with their fingers, drinking wine from stemless glasses, and abandoning soup spoons (whatever those are).

Whatever value there may be in these quintessential fine dining aphorisms, the problem beyond an outdated, bourgeois framework is that they have little to do with the function of our hospitality establishments. Right nowAs an example, A cool new modern wine bar.

This type of bar is mainly Designed It’s about rejecting an exclusive, stuffy wine culture and replacing it with a more casual, inquisitive service (i.e. make it fun). And while, yes, certain codes of conduct still apply, we don’t seem to have a template.

Does tipping differ depending on the venue? Without it Is it table service? How many wines by the glass can you try before you get blacklisted? Are you allowed to return a bottle if you simply don’t like it? Is it still better to order a bottle rather than a glass at a wine bar?

To uncover some of the more watery dos and don’ts of wine bar behavior, we crowdsourced questions from Punch readers and wine bar patrons, then asked experts across the country to answer them. The result is what you get: the hottest wine bar FAQs, answered by people who actually work in wine bars.

How many glasses of wine can you taste before it becomes an absolute menace?

The great thing about the BTG list is that can Sample wine before you decide to buy, but tasting a full flight isn’t polite to the server who carries the bottle and keeps tasting until he’s satisfied. “I have three,” says Donna Stubblefield, beverage director at The Bar in Philadelphia. Bloomsday“There’s no need to try more than three options if the server can communicate with you and translate what you prefer.”

If you’re not familiar with the producers on the list, your server can guide you. Don’t just blindly taste, tell them what you’re looking for. Also, read the atmosphere in the room. If there’s a line stretching out behind you, do not have Time to ponder the nuances of all the options on the BTG list. “That said, if you stay calm and respectful, you’d be surprised at how many samples you can tolerate,” adds Jameson McGrogan, head of BTG. RodeoA newly opened wine bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

You think you have a cork in your bottle, what do you do next?

““Don’t hesitate to report it right away,” Will Taylor said. Beverage Director La Company A New York wine bar. “Faulty wine should never be on the table, but subtle defects can appear after the first inspection.”

The problem is, it happens. Even wine connoisseurs are often hesitant to complain to their server, whether they doubt their own palate or just don’t want to come across as cranky. “I always apologize when I tell someone I think the bottle is corked because it’s not my fault and I need to fix it, but I always talk to the server or bartender and ask them to buy me a new bottle of the same wine,” says Brooklyn bartender Darryl Noone. Prima“If the server isn’t sure if the first bottle was corked, he or she will always pour a second (preferably uncorked) wine and allow the customer to smell or taste the difference.”

The old restaurant adage is that ordering by the bottle is always more cost-effective than ordering by the glass. Is the same true at a wine bar?

The short answer is, yes. “Quantity-wise, I would say you’re almost always going to get the equivalent of a glass for free with any bottle you order,” says Natalie Hekmat of Los Angeles. Voodoo VinThis means that if you finish the whole bottle, it will pay off in the end (wine math).

But he’s not going to criticize BTG’s list. Basil Al Mileik, who manages the New York wine program, said: San Jardinacknowledges that there’s definitely a time and place for enjoying wine by the glass (e.g., dining alone) and that a serious wine bar should offer a “creative and exciting” wine-by-the-glass program. But beyond the value, he says, “the bottle of wine is what wine and hospitality is all about: the full wine experience.”

Is tipping different for counter service and table service?

Counter-service wine bars (where you order, taste, and pay at the bar before sitting down) are becoming more and more common. This arrangement not only keeps staff numbers down, but also helps maintain a casual atmosphere. It seems Just as servers don’t do as much legwork as employees at traditional table-service establishments, traditional tipping models still apply. “Good service is good service, whether at the counter or at the table.” Connor McKee, co-owner of Brooklyn Oopsie Daisy and Big Fail! Wine and Spirits“Until we can make significant systemic changes to the work model and work values ​​in this country, 20% is the bottom line!”

Also, the chip just Bonus if a server shows up tableside. ““Guests don’t see the preparation that goes into service,” Bloomsday’s Stubblefield says. Set up, clean up, buy wine, polish glasses — the list goes on. “There’s this notion that counter service is less work than service at a table, but that’s just not true.”

What’s the best way to communicate your preferences to a bartender?

“Just be honest,” says Evelyn Goleschnick, wine director at Oyster & Wine Bar in Los Angeles. I found an oyster“If a customer says they like a rich Chardonnay or a full-bodied red wine, I know how to steer them in the right direction. [regarding] Our job is to find the closest one on the list.”

Nevertheless, it is easy to fall prey to worn-out, quirky phrases hurled around with reckless abandon.funky!) “A lot of people just repeat what they’ve heard, what they think is cool, what they think is prestigious, and you end up hearing all these catch-all terms like ‘dry,’ ‘mineral,’ ‘natural,'” says St. Jardim’s Al Mireik. Instead, he recommends giving your server as many categorical descriptions as possible from the start: “Be clear about the color, style, format (glass vs. bottle) you’re looking for, the level of openness, and the price range you’re comfortable with. For example, Hello, I’m looking for a nice clean dry white or orange wine under $100. I like Sancerre, but if you have any recommendations as long as they’re not too wacky please let me know..”

If you just… dislike Is this the bottle you ordered?

“I don’t want to drink something I don’t like, and I certainly wouldn’t want someone to drink a whole bottle of something.” They “If I’m out and I’m really disappointed with a particular bottle, I’ll ask for the wine list again, maybe apologize again, tell the bartender I don’t really like the wine and would like to order something different, and offer to pay for the original bottle as well.”

Noon says that if she were a bartender, she would agree to pour the original bottle as a BTG special instead of charging customers, so they could pick what they wanted without paying double. But as a customer, she found herself actually paying for two bottles. “It hurts… but I feel like if you don’t mean it, you shouldn’t say it,” she says.

Is it indecent to order the cheapest glass?

This is easy: “Not at all!” says Stubblefield. Not only are most bartenders, owners and beverage directors very proud of their lists, especially They’re happy with their most affordable options, which means they don’t offer anything they’d be embarrassed to drink. “The cheapest wines are there to be ordered,” says Rodeo’s McGrogan. “I’m happy when someone says, ‘I want the cheapest glass.’ Let’s get to it.”

Why are some establishments now doing away with by-the-glass lists?

“There can be a number of reasons why a store might not have a wine list: they rotate wines frequently, they have limited availability of certain wines, or they want guests to be more playful,” Goleschnick says. “Many stores also keep a large amount of inventory that isn’t on a physical list, so that when someone’s taste is spot on, they can pull from that entire inventory.”

While it’s natural for bar patrons to skim a wine list looking for wines from familiar varietals and producers, having a server make a selection based on tasting notes often exposes them to wines from new regions and producers that might not have piqued their interest on their own. “This approach can create a very engaging relationship between staff and guests, as guests are forced to take the time to discuss their preferences in order to make a selection,” Al Mileik explains. But he counters that it also has its downsides: “I think not having a list is a bit lazy. A proper BTG list can be a way for bars to promote and support more esoteric regions, varietals, and producers that the natural wine community is not familiar with.” Should I am searching for it.”

Is it acceptable to occupy a table just to drink without ordering any food?

“When me and my friends are at a wine bar, we usually order a bottle without food, or we order a few snacks, and then we drink wine, and that’s it,” says Goleschnik. “When you’re at a restaurant, you want to be a little more careful about doing this, because you’re really relying on turning tables to keep the average price high. But at a wine bar, especially, you can sit down with a bottle and enjoy it.” in short, Be mindful of that if you’re taking a table away from a throng of eager, hungry patrons, but generally speaking, it’s never rude to go to a wine bar just to drink wine.

Since when will it be acceptable to bring your own bottle into a wine bar… or will it ever be acceptable?

Wine bars are basically the opposite of a BYOB establishment. If you’re not there to enjoy wine (or non-alcoholic drinks), you’re basically there to rent a chair. Al Mileik has his own rules when it comes to corkage fees. “Most places have a corkage fee policy, but it can be bad manners,” he says. “Of course, sometimes it makes sense (unicorn bottles, old vintages, etc.), but if you do bring something, make sure you share it generously with the staff. Order food, buy at least one bottle off the menu for every bottle you bring, and don’t try to negotiate the corkage fee. That’s my policy.” In his experience, if people handle the interaction graciously enough, the corkage fee is often waived. It goes without saying, but be generous and be grateful.

Is it still illegal to add ice?

Of course, there are some wines you definitely don’t want to dilute. But at the end of the day, drinking should be a pleasure, so adding some ice every now and then is no sin at all.”“The right way to drink wine, or any drink, is to drink it the way you like it,” McGrogan says.

“I operate both Fiasco! and Whoopsie Daisy as judgment-free zones. Do you like ice in your wine? Feel free to do so,” McKee adds. “I’m not here to deny anyone anything good, and you paid for the bottle, so enjoy it how you like. The only sin in this scenario is if you’re given a bottle that’s too warm to begin with.”